Friend or Foe?
by calliope821
Summary: "I don't want to hurt any of you, but I will if you force me to. Turn around and walk away, pretend this never happened, and I'll let you go. Try to fight, and you will regret it."
1. Betrayal

**A/N: You will be pleased to hear that I managed to survive the positive flood of homework my professors tried to drown me in this week. It was a close thing, though. Anyways, posting might become just a weekend thing if this kind of stuff goes on. :'(**

**So, what with Fallen Heroes and World Turned Upside Down *both* giving me horrible writer's block, this is something new. Not sure if I'm going to work on/finish it anytime soon, but I felt like I should post something and this is all I can come up with. (May I also say that this is a relatively long first chapter as my stories tend to go).**

**Pairings: not that I have a very clear idea at this point, but eventually there will be at least hints of RoyxArtemis, RoyxCheshire, and KaldurxArtemis (maybe). With Supermartian implied, of course. In this chapter, just a *hint* of Spitfire, which most likely won't amount to anything in the story unless the plot bunnies so decree.**

**For once, Rated T for injuries/blood only- NO CHARACTER DEATHS! Unless I absolutely can't resist... *evil grin***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice. Nor am I affiliated with DC in any regard other than the fact that I am obsessed. But this is obvious by now.**

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><p>It started out as a covert mission, same as all the others. That was sort of the point of their team, after all. And, just like most of their other missions, the 'covert' part didn't last very long.<p>

"I don't know why we even try for stealth anymore. We might as well just charge in with all guns blazing," Robin said conversationally into his com-link as he executed a perfect spinning kick to the head of the thug he was fighting. Not missing a beat, he leapt into a back-handspring and launched himself, feet first, into another thug who'd been trying to take him from behind. Instant blackouts all around.

He landed in a crouch, battle ready, until he realized he had taken them all out. He scanned the area, still on guard in case there were more of them hiding in the bushes.

Silence.

Suddenly a voice exploded in his ear. "_You say something, Rob?"_

Robin jumped into action, flinging a handful of explosives in a wide arc. Red lights flashed, and then a series of colossal _booms_ shook the ground as fire filled the air.

_"Hey!"_ the voice shouted in his ear, and he realized—too late—that it was only Wally on the com-link._ "Robin, what's going on?"_

"KF!" Robin shouted, hiding his embarrassment. "You scared me out of my skin!"

_ "Hey, you broke radio silence first. Not my fault you're jumpier than a kangaroo."_

"Well, you—"

_"Oh, will you guys stop acting like babies?"_ Artemis said exasperatedly.

_"Kid. Robin. Artemis. That is enough."_ That was Kaldur. _"Robin, what is the situation outside?"_

"All guards neutralized."

_"Good. Meet us inside. And,"_ he added wryly, _"take it easy on the explosives."_

"Got it. On my way." He sprinted into the compound, leaving nothing but a circle of unconscious thugs and a ghostly, echoing laugh in his wake.

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><p>"We have company," Psimon said darkly, opening his eyes.<p>

Cheshire scowled behind her grinning mask. "The sidekicks?"

Psimon nodded.

Cheshire whirled around and kicked an ornate end table in frustration. The table shattered and collapsed into a heap of splintered wood. "I don't have time for this!" she yelled, turning on the others, who watched nervously. "Get moving," she ordered. "Search everywhere; if we leave empty handed I promise you will all regret it." Three of the four scurried from the room, trying to hide expressions of pure fear.

Cheshire turned her gaze to the one who remained. "Was I not clear enough for you?" she said haughtily.

"This is pointless," the young man replied, contempt in his voice. "The place is too big, and what you're looking for is too small. We don't even know if it's _here_."

Cheshire's knife was at his throat faster than he could blink. Not that he did; he just stared down at her uninterestedly. "You and I both know you can't kill me here. A dead body would raise too many questions."

"True as that may be," she said, pressing the point of the dagger further into his skin, "you need to be reminded whose side you're on now." An idea occurred to her, and she exchanged a glance with Psimon. "On second thought, this presents just the opportunity you've been waiting for."

"What are you talking about?"

"The sidekicks. You want to prove your loyalty? Here's your chance. Go," she gestured vaguely, "take care of them."

The man's gaze hardened, but he nodded stiffly. She sheathed the knife. "Good boy. I knew you were a smart one."

"Get the job done," he snapped; then he was gone.

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><p>Robin skidded into the ballroom just as Conner straightened up from his fighting stance. The rest of the team was there too, along with unconscious bodies strewn about the vast room. "Aw, man!" he whined. "You guys had all the fun without me!"<p>

Wally snorted. "You had your fair share outside."

"Stay focused!" Kaldur said sharply. "There may be more. This isn't over yet."

"Actually—at the risk of sounding cliché—it hasn't even started," said a voice from somewhere above them.

All six teenagers craned their necks, scanning for whoever had spoken. "There," said Robin, pointing. They looked and saw a figure standing, half in shadow, on a balcony that opened onto the room.

"Nobody moves," the figure said. "Stay where you are and I won't shoot."

"My turn," said Robin, reaching for his utility belt.

The figure laughed. "Think again, Boy Wonder. Or should I call you by your real name? Would you like that?"

All eyes turned towards Robin, who tensed. "Who are you?" he demanded. "How do you know my name?" _He could be bluffing… please let him be bluffing._

There was no answer; instead there was a sharp _twang _and something whistled through the air, to land, quivering, at Robin's feet. Not taking his eyes off the figure, he reached down to pull the long, slender object from the carpet.

It was an arrow, fletched with red feathers. The message was loud and clear. "No…" Robin whispered in disbelief, eyes snapping back up to the balcony. "Are you insane? What do you think you're doing?" he shouted. _Why, why, why? _Around him, his teammates were giving him puzzled looks. They hadn't figured it out yet.

Red Arrow stepped forward into the light, and Wally gasped. Realization dawned on the others. Shock followed. _No way, _Wally thought, _no freaking way. He would never…_ but there was no denying that it was _Roy _standing there, bow drawn with an arrow pointed directly at Robin's chest.

"I don't want to hurt any of you, but I will if you force me to. Turn around and walk away, pretend this never happened, and I'll let you go. Try to fight, and you will regret it."

"He is insane," Robin said. "Snap out of it, Arrow! You're supposed to be on our side!"

"Not anymore," Roy said, without even a hint of regret in his voice. "I'm sick of being treated like a child. I've had enough of the League trying to force my hand. They thought they could keep me in check." He laughed bitterly. "Well, no more. The Shadows have given me the respect I deserve."

"We have always respected you, my friend," Kaldur said, his voice steady as always—though Robin could sense how betrayed he felt. "Surely you know that. This—this isn't you."

"It's not open for discussion!" the archer snapped. "This is who I am now. Deal with it. Now, you all have a choice to make."

Robin looked at Kaldur, who nodded. He whipped his grappling gun out, fixing a line to the balcony railing and dodging the arrow Roy shot at him before flying through the air. At the same moment Conner launched himself at Roy, a feral war cry escaping his lips.

Unconcerned, Roy shot another arrow at Conner, who yelled in pain and crashed to the floor as it pierced his arm, and then used a knife to slash through Robin's line. Robin fell, barely managing to break his landing with a roll so that his bones didn't snap. He sprang to his feet, ready for another go, but the sight of Conner bleeding on the ground distracted him. He ran to the clone's side, where Megan was trying to stanch the bleeding. "That shouldn't have even _poked _him," Robin said. The arrow had punched cleanly through his bicep, the point protruding on the other side. A glint of green showed through the dark red coat of blood on it.

"Kryptonite!" he turned his head to glare at Roy. "The Shadows teaching you new tricks? Where did you get Kryptonite?"

"It doesn't matter."

"You're right; it doesn't," Artemis shouted. "Because we're still taking you down!" She nocked an arrow and drew the string, but Roy was faster. An arrow whizzed towards her, steel tip glinting maliciously. "Look out!" shouted Wally, crashing into her and knocking her to the floor just as the arrow slammed into his back. A scream tore from his lips and he fell onto his hands and knees.

"Wally!" Artemis shrieked, scrambling to her feet. "Wally, hold on, just hold on—" bracing one hand against his back, she wrapped her other hand around the arrow shaft and pulled. Wally screamed again, but Artemis kept working. She tore a strip of fabric from Wally's sleeve and pressed it to the wound, which should have already sealed itself and yet was still pouring blood. "You guys, we can't stay here!" she shouted. "Aqualad, call retreat! We have to get Wally to the bioship!"

"Superboy needs medical attention too, " Robin said.

"Call retreat, Kaldur," Roy sneered. "If you know what's good for you."

Kaldur sighed. "All right. You win. M'gann, the bioship."

"Wh—oh, right…" Megan closed her eyes and reached out a hand to summon the ship. She levitated Conner into it while Robin helped Artemis with Wally.

"We will cross paths again," Kaldur called out as he boarded the ship. "Try to make the right choice next time." He turned his back, expecting to hear the snap of a bowstring at any second. But he was allowed to leave unchallenged. The ship's portal closed, and they lifted off from the ground. Megan pushed the ship to its limits, speeding towards the Mountain, while Artemis and Robin frantically tried everything they could think of to help Conner and Wally. Kaldur watched without really seeing any of it. Roy had betrayed them; he couldn't believe it. Didn't want to.

He knew Roy had always felt slighted, ever since that first day at the Hall of Justice. But he never could have foreseen _this._ He _knew _Roy; or he thought he had. Now all he could do was wonder why.

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><p><strong>Wow, what a crappy ending for a chapter. =P Oh well.<strong>

**Poor Roy. So misguided, and yet he has so much potential. Should I keep going with this? Review!**


	2. Denial

**A/N: I am appalled at this story. It is all in all way too romantic for my tastes. Bear with me, I'm pretty new at this sappy stuff. And I am really trying, for the most part, to keep with the canon-ness of the first chapter. So the romance aspect of the story will probably not get higher than a K+. The T is just because of injuries (and yes, there will be more) **

**I have been going through serious update withdrawals. Which is why I am up at one o'clock in the morning posting this. I apologize for any crappy-ness in this chapter; once again, not my genre of expertise!**

**Anyways, here it is. As for a disclaimer, do I really need to bother? **

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><p>"I can't believe Roy would willingly join the Shadows."<p>

Kaldur, Robin, Megan and Artemis were waiting sullenly outside the medical bay, were Flash and J'onn were attending to Wally and Conner.

Megan and Artemis sat next to each other on the floor, leaning against the wall by the door, shoulders touching. Kaldur was standing on the other side of the door, one arm leaning heavily on the wall with his head bowed and every muscle tense with worry. Robin was pacing; he had been the one to break the silence.

"_I _can't believe what he did to Wally and Conner. Even _if _he's changed sides, I never would have thought he'd actually try to use lethal force on us," Artemis replied—then she remembered that the arrow that had almost killed Wally had been meant for her, and a twinge of guilt stung her. Quickly she pushed the thought from her mind. "Do you think they brainwashed him?"

Robin shook his head. "I hate to say it, but he was definitely himself when he was talking to us. I think it's just like he said: he's tired of being pushed aside and manipulated by the Justice League. I bet the Shadows gave him a pretty warm welcome."

"We have to talk some sense into him." Kaldur said suddenly. The other three turned to stare at him.

"Is that seriously what you're thinking about right now?" Robin said incredulously. "After what he did, I say let the Shadows have him. He was aiming to _kill_, Kaldur. He almost did it, too."

"He's not in his right mind!" Artemis jumped in. "I'm with Kaldur. Roy needs our help; we can't just give up on him!"

Robin saw a strange expression flicker across Kaldur's face, but it was gone before he could decide what it was.

"We can't do anything about it until Wally and Conner recover anyways," said Megan, coming out of her reverie. "But… I'm sorry, guys, but I agree with Robin. Red Arrow isn't going to want to listen to us. To him we're as bad as the Justice League, and if we try to talk him into coming back he's just going to push us further away. Besides, I can't see the Shadows just letting him quit. He could be in serious danger if he tried to leave."

The others looked at her, surprised at how much thought she had given the matter. Artemis was scowling; she knew the Martian girl's arguments made sense, but she just couldn't bring herself to admit that there was nothing they could do. "Roy trusts us more than he trusts the League," she said stubbornly. "We could convince him. We have to try."

"Give it a rest, Artemis," said Robin. "Like Megan said, we can't do anything right now in any case. Let's just wait and discuss this as a team. Maybe Roy will come to his senses on his own and we won't have to do anything."

Artemis folded her arms and refused to say another word. An awkward silence fell, and soon turned into a complete lapse as the four teens became wrapped up in their individual thoughts.

It was nearly four hours before they got any word of how their injured teammates were doing. Artemis was dozing, head resting on Megan's shoulder. Megan herself was in a meditative trance, eyes glowing a little eerily. Robin was sitting cross-legged on the floor, absentmindedly destroying opponents in an online chess tournament on his wrist computer just to pass the time. Kaldur had taken up pacing.

The door cracked open, and suddenly they were all alert. Megan, Artemis and Robin scrambled to their feet, and all four of them stood at attention as the Flash—or Barry, since he had removed his mask—came out. He looked weary and disheveled, but he smiled a little when he saw the four sets of anxious eyes that were fixed on him. "They'll recover," he said tiredly, and four sighs of relief were heard. "We managed to remove all traces of Kryptonite from Conner's arm. It'll be bandaged up for quite awhile and he might have a little trouble using it for some time after that, but unless infection sets in he should be all right. Wally's going to take a bit longer to heal completely. The arrow hit a rib, and there was a tiny piece of the arrowhead that broke off inside the crack—that's why the wound wasn't healing up quickly like it should have. Luckily he didn't lose too much blood, so that was one less thing to worry about. He's going to have a hard time running—or moving at all for that matter—for a week or so, but that's all."

"Thank goodness," murmured Artemis. The others nodded in agreement.

"Can we see them?" Megan asked, perking up.

"They're both still anesthetized. Why don't you all stay here overnight, and you can see them first thing in the morning?"

Robin reached for his communicator to call Batman for permission, but Barry stopped him. "I already talked to Batman. He's okay with it. Same for you, Artemis, I explained everything to your mother."

They all wandered to their rooms; there wasn't really anything left to say. Sleep was just a way to make the morning come faster.

Artemis closed her door and leaned against it, closing her eyes tiredly and just letting herself rest against the hard, cold wood. She was still in her costume, which was drenched in her sweat and stained with Wally's blood. Disgusted, she stripped off her top, yanked her hair from its ponytail and wriggled out of her boots, flopping down on the bed in just her leggings and sports bra. She was exhausted beyond belief, so tired and numb that she could barely feel the mattress underneath her.

She was also seething. Robin's accusations against Roy made her angrier than she could explain, as did his and Megan's assertions that they shouldn't help him. _What's their problem? _she thought furiously. _Disloyal, that's what it is. Roy doesn't know what he's getting into. _Part of her was also hurt—hurt that he had betrayed them, betrayed _her _after everything he'd said to her. It hurt even more now that she had finally quit working for the Shadows, because she had thought that now, finally, she would be able to tell him how she felt about him. _But no; all the same barriers are still there. _She punched the mattress in frustration. "That _idiot!" _she screamed, but the sound was muffled in the feathery depths of her pillow.

_I'm sorry._

Artemis bolted upright, caught off guard by the mental contact. _Megan,_ she thought, barely keeping her emotions controlled, _you scared me. You know you really shouldn't—_

_ I know, and I'm sorry. But you're so angry… and I thought, because of what I said, you were mad at me… but you're not really, are you? It's something else, isn't it?_

_ Get out of my head! _she screamed into her pillow again, pummeling it with her fists, but Megan didn't withdraw.

_You can't keep hiding everything from us, Artemis. You need to talk to _someone._ Are you… are you in love with Red Arr—with Roy?_

The question took her by surprise; but what surprised her more was that, suddenly, she didn't mind that Megan had asked. Maybe what she'd wanted all along was someone to talk to about it. That's what normal girls did, right? Talk about their silly crushes when no boys were around. _I… yeah, Megan, I guess I am. Dumb, huh? Me getting all moonstruck about some ginger._

Something like a mental laugh emanated from Megan's mind. _Not really, _she said. _We kind of expected it to happen… just never thought it would be _that _redhead. Especially after you and Wally stopped fighting so much._

_ Wally? _Artemis said in horror. _Are you kidding? I would never stoop so low. _

_ I—I'm sorry about Roy, Artemis. And about what I said. We'll figure out a way to get him back, okay?_

_ I don't know. It's probably no use, just like you said._

_ Well, if he means that much to you, I'm willing to try._

Artemis didn't know what to say; she felt tears prick her eyes unexpectedly. _Um, thanks. That… that really…_

_ Are you going to be okay? _The concern in Megan's thoughts made her feel something she hadn't felt in a long while. It was a good feeling.

_Yeah, I'll be all right. Just gotta get some sleep…_

Megan took the hint. _Goodnight, Artemis, _she said, withdrawing and closing the link.

Artemis sighed and rolled over onto her back. She needed to get up, change into some clean clothes, brush her teeth, stretch so that she didn't wake up stiffer than a board. The mattress was getting softer by the second. _I'll just lay here for one more minute. _

Ten seconds later she was sound asleep. She didn't even stir when her door squeaked open, framing a pair of silver eyes and spilling a crack of yellow light across the floor.

Kaldur didn't know why he opened her door; maybe he expected her to be awake. For weeks now he had been trying to get up the nerve to talk to her alone—without the formalities that went with being her teammate and leader. Something about her was different than any of the other girls he had known, including Tula. He didn't know what to make of it, his sudden fascination with her, his need to be around her, the way the power of speech would desert him whenever he caught her looking his way. He wanted to understand it. And to do that he needed to talk to her, without any more pretenses. But every time he tried, something stopped him.

He gazed for a moment at her sleeping form, a strange, warm feeling in his chest as he watched her breathe slowly, in and out, in and out, in a hypnotic rhythm until he found himself breathing with her. Quietly he eased the door shut and wandered, barely conscious of what he was doing, to his own room, already drifting between wakefulness and the blissful world of dreams.

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><p><strong>Subtlety? Maybe not so much. But oh well, right? REVIEWS! Reviews are like hot chocolate on a rainy day- right up there at the top of my favorite things list. <strong>


	3. Failure

**A/N: Once again, I seem to have dropped off the face of the planet with my fanfiction. With all of my writing, actually. But, I'm back! Sort of... anyways, this chapter has been sitting unfinished in my computer for months, so I finished it. It's probably terrible, but it's something.**

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><p>"What are you waiting for? Kill him."<p>

His bow was drawn; the arrow was on the string, pulled taught, quivering with anticipation. It would be so easy. This was what it meant to be a Shadow; he had to do this.

"Kill him now," Cheshire snarled, and Roy's grip on his bow tightened as his eyes locked with the pitiful, fearful eyes of his victim. The decision was made for him. He moved his arm ever so slightly and released. The arrow buried itself with a dull _thunk_ into the wood of the wall next to the man's head.

Roy turned to glare at Cheshire. "I told you when I signed on that I didn't want any part of _this._ Stealing, fine. Espionage, no problem. But I am not an _assassin._"

"You're a coward." Deftly she reached over his shoulder, slid an arrow from his quiver, and with one smooth motion launched it like a javelin into the man's chest. Shock showed on his face; there was a choked-off cry of pain, desperate gasping for breath—then nothing. Roy's glare hardened.

Suddenly he was pinned against the wall, her strong hands gripping his wrists as she pressed her body against him. Roughly she forced her lips onto his in a kiss; he closed his eyes, moaning blissfully— and, much too soon, felt her pull away. She let go of his wrists, and his hands fell to his sides.

"I—I'm sorry," she said, stepping back ever so slightly.

"You shouldn't be," he said, trying to pull her back, but she put a firm hand on his chest, stopping him.

"Not for that," she said. "For this."

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><p>There was a <em>shck <em>of ringing metal, and pain, sharp, fiery _pain_ exploded in his stomach. He cried out and collapsed to his knees, hands grasping at his side, from which blood flowed like water. Cheshire stood over him, wiping his blood from her knife. "Tonight was your test. You failed. And the Shadows don't tolerate failure." Through the haze of pain he thought he could hear regret in her voice. Like he could cope with this better if he could think she was only following orders. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he reached out for her, hand grasping at empty air; he could _just_ see her…

And she was gone, leaving him alone in the dark warehouse, lying in a pool of his own blood.

It hurt to move. It hurt to _breathe_. With every breath he felt like he was being stabbed again, and again, and again. Black fog swirled around the edges of his thoughts, threatening to engulf him; he fought to stay conscious. Gasping in pain, he fumbled clumsily for his cell phone, his hands about as useful as oven mitts; finally, he found it and managed to flip it open. The dark shadows swirled around in dizzying psychedelic patterns, making it impossible for him to see the phone in his hand, and every single breath made him feel as though his stomach was being ripped open from the inside. Barely conscious now, his fingers robotically carried out the last command that had been sent from his brain—he selected the first number he had on speed dial and pressed send.

And then he blacked out.

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><p>Artemis was jolted out of her sleep as the cell phone on her nightstand vibrated loudly, rattling obnoxiously against the wood.<p>

Groaning tiredly, she fumbled for it and looked at the screen, squinting as the harsh light glared in her eyes. It took her a moment to make sense of the name on the screen. "Roy Harper…" she muttered, then clarity flooded her brain, and she gasped. Frantically she flipped the phone open and pressed it hard to her ear, exclaiming, "Roy! You idiot, I hope you're calling to explain yourself. Tell me last night was a bluff, tell me you're a double agent, tell me _anything, _just—" she stopped mid-thought, realizing suddenly that something was wrong. "Roy? A-are you there?"

No answer.

Disappointed, she let her hand fall to her side, dropping the phone. "He must have pocket-dialed me by accident," she said to the empty room. "It's nothing." Disappointment gnawed at her insides, mixed with a tiny flare of pleasure at the thought that her number, at least, was still in his phone. He hadn't betrayed her—_them_—completely…

_I need to talk to him, _she realized. _But I don't know how to find him. I could start by looking for the Shadows… no, that's a bad idea. Besides, we've got no leads on them. _Suddenly an idea occurred to her. She looked down, staring at the phone that was still open on her bed, the screen glowing. The call was still open. "That's weird," she muttered. "I wonder if I could…" she grabbed the phone and scrambled out of bed, hurrying down the hall to Robin's room with the phone clutched in her hand like a lifeline. She kept checking the screen every few seconds to make sure Roy hadn't hung up. If he noticed it and hung up before she could trace the call, she'd lose her chance, maybe forever.

"Robin!" she half-yelled, bursting through his door and dragging him out of bed before he was really awake. "Sorry, but it's important. I need you to trace a phone call _right now._"

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><p>"He's there," Robin said, pointing to a blip on his computer screen while stifling a yawn with his other hand.<p>

Artemis squinted at the screen, and gasped. "I know where that is. Come on!"

"Good luck. I'm going back to bed. Try not to get into too much trouble, okay?"

"Aren't you coming with me? Don't you want to talk to him to?"

"And say what? We're enemies now. I don't have anything to say to him, and he's not going to have anything to say to _us_."

"_I _will come with you," Kaldur said from the doorway, making Artemis jump; she hadn't realized he was there. Robin, as usual, was unfazed.

"Great timing, Kaldur. Now that's settled, can I please go to bed?"

"I can't believe you!" Artemis burst out. "Roy's our _friend, _in case you've forgotten. I at least would have expected you to want to give him a piece of your mind, but _no, _you—"

_Let it go, Artemis, _Megan's voice sounded in her head; out of the corner of her eye she saw Kaldur flinch ever so slightly and realized the Martian girl had opened a connection with all of them. _If he wants to be stubborn, let him. Someone should be here anyways when Conner and Wally wake up. _

_ So… does that mean _you're _coming with us? _Artemis asked.

_Yes. I'll meet you both in the landing bay. _

_ Okay. Hurry! _Artemis closed the connection and looked at Kaldur. "What are we waiting for?"

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><p>Artemis almost passed out when she first saw him; she had to steady herself against the bio-ship until the moment passed. Then she thought she was going to be sick; her stomach churned with anxiety and panic at the sight of him lying there like that, deathly pale in a puddle of his own blood. "Oh, please, no," she gasped, "don't be dead. Please don't be dead…"<p>

Kaldur knelt solemnly by his friend's side, checking first for breathing and then a pulse. "He is still alive," he said quietly, "But I am not certain he will make it. We need to get him back to the cave."

"Oh, I hope Barry's still there," whimpered Megan, her eyes watery with tears.

"Artemis, Megan, help me with him. We do not have any time to waste."

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><p><strong>Again, I apologize for being lame and not updating in forever. But maybe reviews will motivate me to update my other stories... hint hint. Review plz, even though I don't deserve it!<strong>


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